Folding bed.



'e. E. LECLAIR.

FOLDING BED.

APPLICATIQN FILED Nov. 7. 191a.

L%?AW. Patented Feb. 26,1918.

2 SHEETQ-SHEET I.

INVENTOR G. E. LE CLAIR.

FOLDING BED.

APPLICATION FILEDINOV. z, 1916.

Patanted Feb. 26, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR m M S- ATTORNEY n era) GEORGE E. LE CLAIR, 0F FLINT, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING BED.

naa'aaae.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, i td.

Application filed November 7, 1916. Serial No. 130,094.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. LE CLAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in folding beds, the object of the invention being to provide an improved folding bed embodying end members which may be folded down on the mattress and bedding and secured in such folded position to hold the mattress and bedding in place, and also embodying a carriage on which the frame of the bed is pivotally mounted and which carriage serves to support one side of the body when the latter is in use. and also serves to support the bed when the latter is in vertical folded position.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a folding bed constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention, showing the same in position for use in full lines and in folded position in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a detail horizontal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same with the bed in position for use in full lines and folded position in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a detail view.

In the embodiment of the invention here shown the folding bedstead is provided with a frame 1 of the required oblong rectangular form and which comprises side rails 2 and end rails 3. The said side and end rails are in practice L-bars. Standards 4, which are also in practice iL-bars, are arranged with their lower ends in and secured to the corners of the frame, the height of said standards corresponding approximately with the thickness of the bed springs, mattress, and bed clothes combined, so that the upper ends of the standards are approximately level with the upper side of the bed. I also provide end members 5 which are pivotally connected at their lower sides to the upper ends of the standards by means of rods 6, and the said end members may be arranged in vertical position when the bed is in use and may be folded inwardly and on the bedding to hold the springs, mattress,

and bed clothes in place 011 the frame when the bedstead is folded. Link and bracebars 7 are pivotally connected to the sides of the end members 5 and each of said link and brace bars has a notch 8 on its under side near its inner end. The side rails of the bed frame are provided with outstanding bars or headed studs 9, 10. The notched ends of the link bars engage the studs 9 when the end members are in vertical, normal position and may be engaged with the studs 10 to lock said members when in folded position as will be understood.

The frame is provided at its corners, at one side, with legs 11 the upper ends of which are pivotally connected as at 12 to angle irons 13 which are secured to the under sides of the ends of one of the side rails. Each leg is provided with an inclined brace rod 13 which is pivotally connected to an angle iron 14-. Hence the legs may be folded under or against the end rails of the bed or may be extended downwardly from the bed to support one side thereof as, required. Link and brace bars 15 are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the end rails of the bed as at 16 and are provided on their under sides near their lower free ends with notches 16 which may be engaged with studs 17 with which the legs are provided to hold the legs in vertical supporting position, when the bed is arranged for use.

At a suitable distance from the opposite side of the frame is a rail or bar 18 which in practice is an L-bar and the ends of which are secured to the under sides of the end ralls of the bed frame. A carriage 19 is provided which is here shown as comprising a longitudinal bar 20 and a crossbar 21 the cross bar being secured to the longitudinal bar at a point midway between the ends of the longitudinal bar. Standards 22 rise from the center and from a point near the ends of the carriage, their lower ends being secured to the bar 20 and the end standards being also. provided with braces 23. The bar 18 is provided on its under side, at its center and at points near its ends, with angle irons 24 to which the upper ends of the standards 22 are pivotally connected as at 25. The carriage with its standards serves to support one side of the bed frame when the latter is in horizontal position, arranged for use, and also enables the bed to be turned or folded upwardly to a vertical position and to be arranged wholly above the car pivotally connected at the outer end as at 30 toan angle iron 31 which is secured to the under side of the side rail 2 nearest the bar 18. At theinner end of the segment link is a shoulder 82 to engage the vertical ,web of the carriage bar and thereby lock the bed when the latter is in folded position. Near its free end, on its outer side, the segment link is provided with a rabbet 33 providing a shoulder 34: to engage the outer side of said web of the bar 20 to lock the bedstead when in horizontal position arranged for use.

To disengage the free end of the segment .link and thereby permit the bed to be folded I provide a rock shaft 86 which is mounted in bearings 37 provided in two of the standards 22, has an arm 38 at its outer end to enable said rock shaft to be turned, the said shaft has a recess 39 in one side near its inner end to afford clearance for the free inner end of the segment link to permit the latter todrop to engaging position when the rock shaft is turned in the required direction. When the rock shaft is turned to arrange its notch opposite the bar 20 the bottom or face of the notch forms a cam which engages under the recess or free end of the segment link to disengage the shoulder of the latter 7 from the web of said bar 20 and hence permit the bedstead to be folded. The rock shaft is here shown provided with stop members 40 and a spring 4:1, said spring tending to move'the shaft endwise in one direction Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In combination with a bed frame and a carriage on which the bed frame is pivotally mounted so that the bed f 'ame may be arranged in either horizontal position or vertical position, a segment link pivotally connected to one side of the bed frame and having a shoulder near its pivotal end to ena member of the carriage when the bed frame is in folded position, said segment link also having a shoulder near its free end to engage said carriage member when the bed frame is in horizontal position, and arock shaft mounted in the carriage and having a notch to receive the free end of the link, the bottom of said notch forming a cam to trip and release the segment link from the carriage member when the rock shaft is turned.

2. In combination with a bed frame and a carriage on which the bedstead is pivotally mounted so that the bed frame may be arranged in either horizontal. position or vertical position, a segment link pivotally connected to one side of the bed frame and hav ing a shoulder near its pivotal end to engage a member of the carriage when the bed frame is in folded position, said segment link also having a shoulder near its free end to engage said carriage member when the bed frameis in horizontal posi tion, a rock shaft mounted in the carriage and having a notch to receive the free end of the link, the bottom of the notch forming a cam to trip and release the segment link from the carriage member when the rock shaft is turned, and means to prevent casual turning of the rock shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my gnaturo.

GEORGE E. LE (llnil'lt.

fiopies oftliis patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

